The present disclosure relates to a gaming device with a game wheel rotatably mounted around a wheel axis for playing a score.
Gaming devices are known as, for example so-called wheels of fortune, usually having a wheel rotatable around a fixed axis, on which markings are applied that divide the front surface of the wheel into several sectors. The individual sectors form so-called luck or winning fields. On the outer edge of the wheel, protruding abutment elements, such as, for example metal pins can be mounted between the markings from the surface of the wheel. A flexible engagement element, for example in the form of a rubber tab or a spring flap engages in the areas between the abutment elements and marks a specific winning field.
Such wheels of fortune can be rotated either manually or motorized, whereby the wheel can rotate along the fixed mounted engagement element, which can be pushed over the abutment elements due to its flexible design or bearing. After a certain time of rotation, the wheel remains in a random position and the engagement element marks one of the winning fields, namely, the one which comes to rest on the engagement element so that the engagement element can engage the laterally limiting abutment elements.
Such a wheel of fortune is known, for example from document DE 202012012114 U1, which proposes to apply light beams to the wheel of fortune, the light beams being projected onto an extensive projection surface, for example a hall wall, to make the game more visible to a wider audience. However, such mounting of light beams on the wheel of fortune requires large installation spaces to really enable effective perception. In addition, the area between the wheel of fortune and the projection screen must not be obstructed by persons or other gaming devices, since this would prevent light projection. That, in turn means that the wheel of fortune can hardly be directly observed by any player in the close range.
A rotatably mounted, driven wheel of fortune is also known from document AT 19 53 06, in which the rotatable wheel is accommodated in a box-shaped housing, the front plate of which is to consist of a transparent plastic on which adornments such as, for example painted figures can be attached. The drive of the wheel of fortune is carried out by means of an electric motor, wherein a roller or a brake which can be driven by the electric motor can be selectively brought into engagement with the wheel of fortune by means of a manually operable rocker.
The document DE 36 32 203 A1 also shows a wheel of fortune, which on its front side has several rings of different fields of luck which are intended to be used for various competitions or games such as lotto and toto.
However, the information, markings or even embellishments that can be attached to the game wheel are limited because of the limited size of the wheel of fortune, which ultimately should have humanly manageable dimensions. Previous wheels of fortune rely on an intuitive understanding of the game mechanism. Furthermore, due to the simple mechanical principle, at least in the case of repeated play, the score is no longer completely accidental, since even with the aid of an electromotive drive a prediction can be made as to how far the wheel of fortune runs and at what point it will stop when the drive is switched off.